ARIDAEUS

So change all things that subject are t'our sighed; Disorder order breeds, and order it, Next night comes darkness, and next darkness light. This never changing change transcends our wit. Thus poverty and riches, sickness, health: Both honour and dishonour, life and death, Do so depend on other, that by stealth, All go and come as th'accidents of breath. Each worldly state the heavens a height appoint, Where when it once arrives it must descend: And all perfections have a fatal point, At which excellency it self must end. But as all those that walk on earth are crossed With alterations, happening oft and strange: The greatest states with greatest storms are tossde, And sought of many must make many a change. Nor speak I this by speculation now, As gathering credit out of ancient scrolls: souls. No, I have lived at court and I know how, Ther's nought on earth more vexed, then great men's souls. Thraled to the tyrant honour, while they moan Their plaints to subjects ears ashamed t'empart: They must bear all the weight of woes alone, Where others of their grief lend friends a partly. Their rising us above to such a height, Which seems their best is worst, while since being lords: They never hear the truth that comes to light, When frank society speaks naked words. While sadness, while seems majesty, time tells How deer they buy their pomp with lose of rest: Some feign three furies but in all the hells, And ther's three thousand in one great men breast. A secret fate, alternantly all things Does in this circle circularly lead: Still generation from corruption springs, To th'end that some may live, some must be dead. Each Element another's strength devours; The to the fire succumbes, the fire to rain: The water strives to drown all earth with showers, Which it by vapours vomits out again. Thus with a gordian knot together bound, All things are made, unmade, and made again: While ruin founds, perfection does confound, And norhing in one state does long remain. But nought in earth more dangerously stands Than sovereignty, that's rated at such worth, Which Like the stormy deities blustering bands, Does fly from East to West, from South to North. While some their betters, others equals scorn, The government that's popular decays: And when it die the Monarchy is born, Whose violence disorders broils alaies. It from corruption does continue clean, As freest from infirmities we find: Still while it humbly high, does hold a mean, Betwixt tyranny, and too remiss a mind. But though th'one-headed state may flourish long, While th'one knows to command, the rest obey: While guerdon follows goodness, vengeance wrong, That virtue cherished is, vice made decay. Yet (if nought else) time does great states overcome, Heavens have confined all by some fatal hour: And there may many misadventures come To dissipate the most united pour. For huge mishaps a monarchy may mar, When once prosperity begins t'expire: To further which, while strangers must make war, And while seditious subjects may conspire. As jealousy, or else ambition moves, All Princes would suppress aspiners still: And then a subjects course most dangerous proves, When either fear or hope transports his will. But though to the beginning, and to th'end Great states are guided by a secret fate: Yet their designed destrudion does depend, Still, either on contempt, or else on hate; Of those the first kings lack of courage breeds, Which makes ambitious minds t'attempt more bold: And th'other does attend tyrannike deeds, By violence to-have violence controlled. Good kings are Like the fire, which flaming bright Does waste it self, to serve another's turn: And sovereignty is Like fires glancing light, Which if but viewed, delights, if touched, does burn. I Like for warmness to stand Vulcan by, More than to burn amid the Lemnian flame: And rather in the Cedars shadow lie, Than on the top to stand the wind-gods game. All th'eie-attracting pomp, and splendorous shows Do merit scorn, though they amazement breed: The world them pity more then envy owes, That to seem happy would be wrech'd indeed. For alterations strange attend a throne; As if the sphere of fortune were a crown, The great still tossde, Like Sisyphus his stone, While highest up, rest readiest to fallen down. Of this what greater proof can Fame afford, Then mighty Philips memorable fallen: That daunted had the Grecians by the sword, Though not till then t'a stranger being made thrall? He, he, then while he solemnized with state, His daughters marriage, suddenly was lost: So that it seemed that Monarchs days to date, That Hymen's torch gave light to Pluto's post. Then when that I conceiude with grief of heart The Misery's that proper were to court: I thought them happy that retired apart, Could never know such things, but by report. I might have lived with Alexander still, To virtuous men, whose savours were not scarce: Yet rather chosen, though having both at will, Obey with Pallas, then command with Mars. And while he toiled over others Lord to be, I laboured over my self to be made Lord: Yet made as great a conquest too as he: My pen shall be as famous as his sword. Lo how the heavens, whose love towards man exceeds, Have made his body strong, his mind divine: And have made earth to furnish all his needs, Lest downe-weigh'd cares might make his thoughts de cline. So that he hath a means to raise his flight, If winged with Virtue, and may mounting High, Aspire t'approach to the celestial light, And deify himself before he die. Yet does he strait forgo that glorious way, To toil for things that earth unforced affords: The which his wants first framed were to defray, But by himself are of his life made Lords. Oh how unworthy of the worth of man, Are many labors that delight him most, Since that corruption boldly first began, To make men nourish vice at virtues cost. And now what hath great Alexander gained By endless labours, and excessive cares? Of whom lo now it's only said he reigned, But death unto himself, worse to his heirs. Lo, for the guiltless blood that he hath spilled; The partners of his conquests do begin To die by the same swords by which they killed, And all his offspring expiates his sin.